Ball operated climbing toy



Jam, m :1 G. H. PORTER 31353 1;

BALL OPERATED CLIMBING TOY Filed April 4. 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet l 5 mg 9 g Jan. 31,, 1950 G. H. PORTER 2,495,9fi2

BALL OPERATED CLIMBING TOY Filed April 4, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 /0m In L'enmr @Zemfl Paris?" A "a rneys Jan, 3L H90 (3. H. P R R BALL OPERATED CLIMBING TOY Filed April 4, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 A 1 m rneyx Patented Jan. 31, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BALL OPERATED CLIMBING TOY Glen H. Porter, Santa Ana, Calif.

Application April 4, 1947, Serial No. 739,283

This invention appertains to amusement apparatus and more particularly to amusement or game apparatus wherein a surface projectile is employed for actuating an animated iig' urc-r. An important object of the invention is to provide a toy wherein an elongated structure such as a pole or track is employed in conjunction with a movable figure such as an animal simulation, with means for manually movin said figure progressively along said elongated structure.

Another object of the invention is to provide an amusement device employing an animated figure wherein surface projectiles are used to impart a life-like movement tothe figure and wherein the amusement apparatus can be employed as a game.

A further object of the invention is to provide an animated figure toy wherein the parts are of simple construction and made of inexpensive materials, to the end that the apparatus can be retailed at a nominal monetary figure.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to the reader of the following description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the apparatus.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on line 3--3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical transverse sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional View taken on line 6-6 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, a box-like base is provided and this consists of sidewalls 5, 5 connected at their lower portions by an inclined bottom wall 6, which at its lower end may have a riser to prevent loss of returned balls by rolling out of the box-like base structure, yet havin the same conveniently situated where they can be retrieved easily.

Just below the upper edges of the sidewalls 5, 5 is a rolling surface top 7, inclined from the front end of the base to an elevated point a and extending from there to the back end of the base, the top, which is substantially flat, being denoted by numeral 8.

-Rising from one end portion of the part 3 of the top 1 is a hollow stack or pole 9, having its lower end open and depending into a similar shaped opening in the part 8 of the top 1, as is apparent in Figure 4. The pole 9 may be of any 1 Claim. (CI. 46-42) a colored light if desired.

The rear side of the pole 9 has a vertically extending slot H therein for receiving a slide tongue l2, this tongue bein horizontally disposed and having its outer end secured between the ear portions 13, M at the ends of a split band 15, the latter being slidably disposed on the pole 9, the ears [3, l4 being secured together and against the outer end of the tongue it by abolt l6.

The front portion of the band [5 carries a figure I! simulating a monkey or some other climbing figure, the same having its extremities disposed with respect to the pole 9 in a position simulating the position that such an animal would take in its climbing actions.

A curved hood l8 has side portions flanged and secured by suitable means l9 to the top side of the portion 3 of the top I and under the rear portion of the hood 1B, the portion 8 of the top 7 has a trap openin 20 through which projected balls 2| may drop.

Located under the portion 8 of the top '1? and within the box-like base is a transversely disposed horizontal'shaft Z2.

Splined or keyed to the shaft 22 at one end thereof is a paddle wheel which is composed of a hub 24 and radially disposed blades 25, which preferably have their outer end portions 26 curved in a direction away from the direction in which the wheel is to rotate. On the shaft 22 is a pinion a meshing with a gear 22 on a counter-shaft c which with side members forms a reel 21 on which is wound one end of a cord 23, which extends upwardly over an elongated pulley 36 and downwardly to connect as at 32, to to the inner end of the tongue l2.

A second cord 29 extends upwardly from an attaching point 32a on the inner end of the tongue I2 to pass over the same pulley 3i] and downwardly into a guide tube 33 where it attaches to a counter balance weight 34. (See Figure 6.) The guide tube 33 is adequately supported by brackets 35 which in turn are suitably secured to the inside of the hollow pole 9.

As shown in Figure 1, the top I may be grooved longitudinally to provide an upwardly constricted alley 36, this depressed alley 36 being open at its lower end so that any balls that do not reach the Portion 8 of the top 1 will return to the hand of the player.

In the operation of this amusement apparatus, each player is assigned a number of balls and his aim is to see how far he can actuate the figure ll up the pole 9, or the apparatus may simply be used as an amusement device, instead of in the playing of a competitive game.

The player rolls a ball up the inclined top '5, the ball entering the hood i8 and upon dropping through the opening 29 (see Figure 3) strikes one of the underlying paddles 25 of the paddle wheel, the ball in gravitating causing rotation of the wheel and shaft 22 and likewise the drum El.

As the drum 27 rotates, the cord Ed is wound on the drum, thus lifting the tongue i2 and carrying with it the figure ll, while at the same time the weight of the figure ii and associated parts is counter-balanced by the weight 35 in the tubular guide 33, to the end that the figure ii will remain at the place on the pole 53 last moved'to.

When the figure 11 has been actuated to the top of the pole the figure should then be returned to its lowermost position for repeating the operation. If desired a pull-cord or some other manual means may be employed for lowering the figure If.

The balls 2!, after they have acted on the paddle wheel, will fall onto the floor and gravitate to the forward portion of the base where they can be easily retrieved by the players.

A flexible apron 39 depends from the portion of the top 5, this apron acting as a mild drag brake on the paddle wheel, as is apparent in Figure 3 and serving to prevent too rapid rotation of the wheel and the shaft 22.

While the foregoing description sets forth the invention in specific terms, it is to be understood that numerous changes in the shape, size and materials may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed hereinafter.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A figure toy comprising an elongated hollow base open at front and rear ends and having a top wall extending rearwardly at an upward incline, the rear portion of the top wall forming a horizontal platform, a tubular post extending upwardly from the platform and having its lower end opening through said platform, said platform having a small opening in the platform spaced from the post, a hood carried by said platform and disposed over the small opening and being open at its front side, said top wall being grooved to form a depressed alley extending from the front end of the said wall to the front side of the hood, a projectile adapted to be rolled along the alley and into the hood, a shaft rotatably mounted in the base transversely thereof with portions under the post and the second opening, a paddle wheel carried by the portion of the shaft under the second opening for engagement by the projectile to rotate the shaft, a oountershaft rotatably mounted under the post and geared to the first shaft, a reel carried, by the counter shaft, a pulley rotatably mounted in the upper end portion of said post, a line wound about the reel and extending upwardly through the post and trained about the pulley with an end portion extending downwardly through the post, a split band fitting loosely about the post and having ears extending from the post at opposite sides of a slot formed vertically in the post, a figure carried by said band, and a strip passing through the slot of the post with its one end secured between the ears of the band and its other end connected with the downwardly extending end of the line whereby upon rotation of the reel in a direction to wind the line thereon the band and the figure will be drawn upwardly along the post.

GLEN H. PORTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,638,910 Boggio Aug. 16, 1927 2,135,176 Fleak Nov. 1, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 6,529 Australia July 12, 1927 6,763 Great Britain a- 1895 51,507 Germany Apr. 9, 1-890 416,494 Great Britain Sept. 17, 1 934 

